MSUM Women Win 11th Straight, Men Back in Win Column

Cassidy Thorson charts 17 points in Dragons win over CSP.

Courtesy MSUM Athletics

MOORHEAD, Minn. – Minnesota State University Moorhead (10-3, 5-2 NSIC) looked out of sorts after the holiday break as the Dragons dropped their first game back, 74-65, to Minnesota State Mankato (8-4, 3-3 NSIC). Senior guard Aaron Lien scored a team-high 17 points for MSUM.

It was a slow offensive game for a Dragon squad that had been averaging 92.8 points per game, putting up a season low 26 points in the first half. Minnesota State opened the game on a 12-2 run over the first four minutes. MSUM used a 9-3 run to pull the game to 15-11, but entered halftime down, for just the fourth time this season, 39-26. Senior forward Ayob Ayob had a team-high eight points in the first half. MSUM shot 9-of-31 (29.0 percent) from the field in the first half, while Minnesota State shot 16-of-35 (45.7 percent).

Entering the second half with the biggest deficit faced this season, MSUM battled back using a 24-10 run, down just 52-51. Junior guard Tanner Kretchman had a go ahead three pointer rattle in and out. The Mavericks built a 14-point lead over the next five minutes of play, with the Dragons not being able to come any closer than six points. Minnesota State won by a final score of 74-65.

MSUM finished the contest 21-of-62 from the field (33.9 percent), while the visiting Mavericks finished 29-of-65 (44.6 percent). The Dragons out rebounded the Mavericks 44-38, and finished the game with 13 assists to eight turnovers.

MOORHEAD, Minn. — A balanced offensive attack helped the Minnesota State University Moorhead women’s basketball team win its 11th straight game on Saturday as the Dragons topped Concordia-St. Paul, 76-63 at Nemzek Fieldhouse in Moorhead, Minn.

MSUM is now 11-1 overall and 8-0 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Dragons lead Winona State by one game in the conference race. Concordia-St. Paul fell to 7-6 overall and 3-4 in the league.

Four Dragons scored in double figures, led by 17-point efforts from junior guard Cassidy Thorson and freshman forward Morgan Ham.

MSUM shot 48.1 percent (26-of-54), including a torrid 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from three-point range. The Dragons limited CSP to 38.7 percent shooting (24-of-62) and had a slight 35-34 edge in rebounds.

A pair of runs to open each half proved decisive in the Dragon win.

MSUM opened the game on a 15-2 run over the first 4:41, thanks to its defense and five points each from from junior forward Drew Sannes and freshman forward Morgan Ham. Junior guard Cassidy Thorson, Ham and Sannes each buried threes during that run.

The Golden Bears cut the lead to three late in the first half and were within 33-29 at the halftime break. Ham had 11 first-half points to lead MSUM.

After Concordia crept within four at halftime, the Dragons pushed the lead to 15 points with a 13-2 run to open the second half. Thorson had four points during that stretch, including a three-pointer, while sophomore guard Jacky Volkert had four.

A layup by freshman forward Megan Hintz with 2:26 left in the third gave MSUM its largest lead at 56-37. A three-pointer brought Concordia within 68-60 with 2:22 left but the Dragons scored eight of the game’s final 11 points to secure the win.